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Dogs best left at home in hot weather

The recent heat wave has led to an increase in calls from the public who see animals, usually dogs, left unattended in parked vehicles.

Before calling the police or animal control, police suggest the following checklist to determine the animal is safe or at risk.

Is the car parked in the sun or shade?

Are the windows down and does the animal have air flow?

How long have you observed the animal?

Does it have any water?

Have you gone into nearby stores and tried to locate the owner or driver?

What is the dog doing? Is panting, laying down, barking?

If an animal is panting, shaking uncontrollably, lethargic or appears to be uncoordinated, this might be a critical situation requiring attendance by police or Nanaimo Animal Shelter at 250-754-1397 at any time.

To avoid these situations, police strongly recommend dogs be left at home.

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